Hotel guest with £5,000 in unpaid bills given six months to clear his debts

A 34-YEAR-OLD man who has admitted racking up over £5,000 in unpaid bills at two hotels last summer has been given six months to come up with the money he owes.

David Daly, of Church Road, Drumcask, Swanlinbar, County Cavan, pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining services dishonestly, namely by failing to pay for a hotel room and associated charges, on dates between June 17 and August 18, 2017, and again from August 18 and September 2, 2017.

Daly also entered further guilty pleas to not having a driving licence and using a motor vehicle without insurance at Forthill Street, Enniskillen on September 2, 2017.

Fermanagh Magistrates Court heard that, on September 2 last year, staff at the Enniskillen Hotel contacted the police about a guest who had checked out without settling a bill for £2,032.95.

CCTV footage was seized by police, which showed the defendant.

Daly had left the hotel at 12.50pm and told staff that he was going to the Halifax to withdraw money, but did not return.

He was driving a red Vauxhall Corsa on the day in question. Checks carried out by the police revealed that he was not insured and did not have a valid UK licence.

Officers were subsequently made aware of a further incident at the Valley Hotel in Fivemiletown.

Staff at the Valley told police that the defendant had failed to pay when he had checked out on August 18 last year.

During interview on September 2, Daly told the police that he had handed over an Ulster Bank debit card to the reception at the Enniskillen Hotel and left to go to the Halifax to withdraw money.

The defendant insisted that he had paid the balance in cash.

He further alleged that he had checked out of the Enniskillen Hotel on August 21, travelled to Toronto the next day, before checking back into the premises upon his return on August 31.

In relation to the Valley Hotel, Daly claimed that he had paid the balance in full when he checked out.

When questioned over his lack of insurance cover, the defendant told officers that his partner dealt with those matters.

He further claimed that he had held a valid Republic of Ireland driving licence since he was a teenager.

Defending solicitor, Gary Black, told the court that “events got out of control” and his client had “opened a can of worms he could not close”.

The solicitor admitted that Daly did not have any restitution in court.

Mr. Black said that the defendant had served 12 weeks in custody on remand and was now unemployed.

“Sadly, income is not a factor in his life,” the solicitor said.

Mr. Black revealed that the defendant had been granted High Court bail, but had remained in custody since he couldn’t raise the cash surety required for his release.

The High Court eventually released him on bail without a cash surety, the solicitor said.

In mitigation, Mr. Black said that his client had been in work up until the date of these offences.

He told the court that, when Daly was in a position to regain employment, steps would be taken to pay compensation.

A Public Prosecution Service (PPS) representative told the court that the defendant owed the Enniskillen Hotel £2,032.95 and the Valley Hotel a further £3,676.25.

Deputy district judge Sean O’Hare observed that the defendant had given no explanation for his behaviour, save that the situation got away from him.

The judge said he owed two “substantial” hotel bills for relatively short stays.

Adjourning the case for six months until August 6 to allow the defendant to gather up £5,000, Mr. O’Hare warned: “Come back before the court without any attempt to pay then justice will have to take its course.”

Ipsoregulated

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